Sundance London 2017

Sundance London features the pick of American independent narrative and documentary films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, USA.

UK premiere

Beatriz at Dinner

(Director: Miguel Arteta, Screenwriter: Mike White)

Beatriz, an immigrant from a poor town in Mexico, has drawn on her innate kindness to build a career as a health practitioner. Doug Strutt is a cutthroat, self-satisfied billionaire. When these two opposites meet at a dinner party, their worlds collide and neither will ever be the same.
Principal cast: Salma Hayek, John Lithgow, Chloë Sevigny, Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass, Connie Britton

International premiere

The Big Sick

(Director: Michael Showalter, Screenwriters: Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani)

Based on the real-life courtship: Pakistan-born comedian Kumail and grad student Emily fall in love, but they struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail must navigate the crisis with her parents and the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart.
Principal cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher

International premiere. Presented in association with Time Out

Bitch

(Director/Screenwriter: Marianna Palka)

A woman snaps under crushing life pressures and assumes the psyche of a vicious dog. Her philandering, absentee husband is forced to become reacquainted with his four children and sister-in-law as they attempt to keep the family together during this bizarre crisis.
Principal cast: Jason Ritter, Jaime King, Marianna Palka, Brighton Sharbino, Rio Mangini, Kingston Foster

International premiere

Bushwick

(Directors: Cary Murnion, Jonathan Millot, Screenwriters: Nick Damici, Graham Reznick)

Lucy emerges from a Brooklyn subway to find that her neighborhood is under attack by black-clad military soldiers. An ex-Marine corpsman, Stupe, reluctantly helps her fight for survival through a civil war, as Texas attempts to secede from the United States of America.
Principal cast: Dave Bautista, Brittany Snow, Angelic Zambrana, Jeremie Harris, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Arturo Castro

UK premiere

Chasing Coral

(Director: Jeff Orlowski)

Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. A team of divers, photographers, and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world. (Documentary)

Special preview screening

Winner of the Audience Award: U.S. Documentary

Crown Heights

(Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin)

When Colin Warner is wrongfully convicted of murder, his best friend, Carl King, devotes his life to proving Colin’s innocence. Adapted from This American Life, this is the incredible true story of their harrowing quest for justice.
Principal cast: Lakeith Stanfield, Nnamdi Asomugha, Natalie Paul, Bill Camp, Nestor Carbonell, Amari Cheatom

International premiere

Winner of Audience Award: US Dramatic

Dina

(Directors: Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini)

An eccentric suburban woman and a Walmart door greeter navigate their evolving relationship in this unconventional love story. (Documentary)

Special preview screening

Winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary

A Ghost Story

(Director/screenwriter: David Lowery)

This is the story of a ghost and the house he haunts.
Principal cast: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Will Oldham, Sonia Acevedo, Rob Zabrecky, Liz Franke

UK premiere

Icarus

(Director: Bryan Fogel)

When Bryan Fogel sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller involving dirty urine, unexplained death, and Olympic Gold—exposing the biggest scandal in sports history. (Documentary)

UK premiere

Winner of U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: The Orwell Award

The Incredible Jessica James

(Director/Screenwriter: Jim Strouse)

Jessica James, an aspiring NYC playwright, is struggling to get over a recent breakup. She sees a light at the end of the tunnel when she meets the recently divorced Boone. Together, they discover how to make it through the tough times while realizing they like each other—a lot.
Principal cast: Jessica Williams, Chris O’Dowd, Lakeith Stanfield, Noël Wells

European premiere

Marjorie Prime

(Director/Screenwriter: Michael Almereyda)

In the near future—a time of artificial intelligence—86-year-old Marjorie has a handsome new companion who looks like her deceased husband and is programmed to feed the story of her life back to her. What would we remember, and what would we forget, if given the chance?
Principal cast: Jon Hamm, Geena Davis, Lois Smith, Tim Robbins

UK premiere

Winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize

Walking Out

(Directors/Screenwriters: Alex Smith, Adam Smith)

A teenager journeys to Montana to hunt big game with his estranged father. The two struggle to connect, until a brutal encounter in the heart of the wilderness changes everything.
Principal cast: Matt Bomer, Josh Wiggins, Bill Pullman, Alex Neustaedter, Lily Gladstone

European premiere

Wilson

(Director: Craig Johnson, Screenwriter: Daniel Clowes)

Wilson, a lonely, neurotic, and hilariously honest middle-aged misanthrope, reunites with his estranged wife and gets a shot at happiness when he learns he has a teenage daughter he has never met. In his uniquely outrageous and slightly twisted way, he sets out to connect with her.
Principal cast: Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern, Judy Greer, Cheryl Hines

UK premiere
SURPRISE FILM!

For the first time this year the Sundance Film Festival: London will feature a surprise film. It was a favourite among audiences in Utah, and with just one screening this will be among the hottest of the hot tickets. The title will be revealed only when the opening credits roll.

Redford Recommends
A showcase of three influential films that have premiered at Sundance Film Festival over the years

Sex, Lies and Videotape, Me and You and Everyone We Know and Man on Wire screen from original 35mm prints.

Courtesy of Sex, Lies and Videotape Sex, Lies and Videotape (Steven Soderbergh, 1989) Stephen Soderbergh burst onto the independent filmmaking scene with this savagely funny low budget drama about a group of young, adulterous 30-somethings. Powered by astonishingly raw, realistic dialogue and terrific performances from the likes of James Spader and Andie MacDowell, Soderbergh’s film debuted at the 1989 Festival and won the Audience Award, going on to win the Palme D’Or at Cannes in the same year. Something of a protean text for the serious-minded, modern American indie, the film’s razor-sharp dialogue, preoccupation with sex and the psyche, as well as its breakout performances, still pack a punch almost 30 years on. Screens from 35mm.
Courtesy of Me and You and Everyone We Know	Me and You and Everyone We Know (Miranda July, 2005) Utterly distinctive, visually inventive and ultimately moving, Miranda July’s debut feature was supported by Sundance Institute’s Directors and Screenwriters Labs and premiered at the 2005 Festival, taking the Special Jury Prize for originality of vision. A bittersweet love story revolving around a group of lost and heartbroken people, the film still dazzles with its offbeat tone, funny dialogue and impressive array of breakout performances from the likes of John Hawkes and July herself, who also wrote the film. Screens from 35mm.
Courtesy of Man on Wire	Man on Wire (James Marsh, 2008) British director James Marsh debuted this riveting documentary at the 2008 Festival, winning both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize. An account of Philippe Petit’s infamous solo tightrope walk between the Twin Towers in 1975, the film utilises cinematic devices and styles more familiar from a heist caper than traditional talking-head style documentary films. Dazzlingly inventive and exciting, the film went on to win the Academy Award® for Best Documentary and inspired Robert Zemeckis’ narrative feature version of the story, The Walk (2015), starring Joseph Gordon Levitt. Screens from 35mm.